Jenna Miller, author of We Got the Beat
Young Adult Literature Category
Each week leading up to the 37th annual Minnesota Book Awards, we are featuring exclusive interviews with our finalists. You can also watch the authors in conversation with their fellow category finalists here.
What inspired you to write this book – or inspired you while writing it?
I’m always inspired to write about fat, queer, nerdy girls who deserve to be seen and have their voices heard. For We Got the Beat, it was important to me to have Jordan (main character) feel comfortable in her own skin and confident in her talent as a journalist. When I was growing up, there weren’t stories about queer or fat kids. If there were, they were seen as the joke or something to be bullied or hated. But everyone deserves to be who they are and love who they are, and it’s essential to include books for young readers (and everyone) that reflect that.
What is one detail you wanted to include in this book, but couldn’t find a place for?
I wanted to include a romantic relationship between two of the teachers in the book. They have a natural chemistry and banter to them in my head that would’ve been fun to play with on the page, but that would’ve taken away from the point of the story.
Tell us about someone (whose name isn’t on the cover!) who proved instrumental to the creation of this book.
Of course, I had an incredible team behind me at my publisher seeing this work through, but my stories always start with my best friend, Janice. She’s always my first reader and is constantly inspiring me to believe in myself and keep going. She re-introduced me to Young Adult books as an adult, which led to a love of writing those stories. She also essentially bullied me into taking my writing more seriously, and I’ll always be grateful for that.
Please tell us something about yourself that is not widely known. (It doesn’t have to be about the book in question – or even about your writing at all!)
This both does and doesn’t have to do with writing, but I was diagnosed with autism and ADHD late last year. I share this because I’m 37, and that’s a long time to go not knowing. So if you’re reading this and wonder something similar about yourself, it doesn’t hurt to look into it! It’s never too late to figure out parts of who you are. Speaking for myself, this knowledge has already helped me immensely. (I also didn’t realize I was a lesbian until I was 30, so I guess this is all pretty par for the course.)
Share your thoughts about the role and value of libraries.
Libraries are essential, especially in the current political climate we’re in. As threats continue to rise against marginalized voices and a range of stories, we need libraries to act as a safe space for people of all ages to promote freedom of speech and allyship. I wouldn’t be the reader I am today without libraries. They have the power to change lives, and they have so many great resources that people don’t always have access to otherwise. I’m immensely grateful to librarians everywhere and anyone who plays a role in the literary arts.
Jenna Miller writes young adult books about fat, queer, nerdy girls who deserve to be seen and have their voices heard. Her debut novel was Out of Character.